Opp Congress accuses NPP of betraying the people by supporting CAB

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaDecember 11, 2019

SHILLONG: The opposition Congress has accused the ruling National People’s Party (NPP) of betraying the people of Meghalaya and other states in the North east region by supporting the Citizenship Amendment Bill (CAB), 2019.

Speaking to reporters after a meeting held here on Wednesday, CLP leader Mukul Sangma said,“We are surprised and shocked that despite the resolution signed by all political parties and civil society organizations indicating our strong opposition to the passage of CAB, somehow the NPP did a U-turn. Though the chief minister Conrad K Sangma was trying to tell us that there is justification to agree to the proposed bill to be passed but they (NPP) did not say that when we adopted the resolution (submitted to Union home minister Amit Shah in New Delhi), so it was betrayal and is a politics of backstabbing and we condemned it.”

He also slammed the NPP for taking the political parties and civil society organizations and people as a whole for a ride by completely disregarding the sentiments and views of the masses, which according to him are based on ground realities and justified beyond any doubt.

The Leader of Opposition further questioned how the provisions of the Sixth Schedule and Inner Line Permit (ILP) prevent and differentiate between genuine citizens and the people who will be eligible to become citizen in the long run.

“How can provisions of the Sixth Schedule prevent citizens of the country or are we going to have two categories of citizens with the mandate of the CAB once it is operation after enactment? Will we be able to differentiate between the people who will be eligible to become citizen in the long run? What is the provision of ILP, it is only a provision which provide restriction of entry and movement and nothing else,” he said.

Stating that even if we implement Sixth Schedule or ILP or both, it will still not be enough to protect the interest of the indigenous people, the former chief minister asserted the need for many more laws and legislative exercise which will be much more comprehensive and stringent to really protect the interest of the indigenous communities.

He however said lamented that the BJP and the NPP are trying to justify by saying that the CAB is now in a new avatar and that it has provisions to protect the interest of the North East by exempting states having ILP and Sixth Schedule.

“But ILP was there from before in respect of Nagaland, Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh. The fact is that even when ILP is operational the actual population of the indigenous community and non indigenous have shown increase in favour of non tribal. We have all the figures in Nagaland, Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh. Therefore we want a much stronger law much effective and comprehensive to address the concern of illegal immigration and influx and that is how we ultimately collectively and unanimously decided upon a new legislation which is the Meghalaya Residents Safety and Security Act to really address the concern,” Sangma said.

He alleged that inspite of these concerns the government of the day, courtesy the NPP and their leadership have tried to convey to the nation and the world that people of Meghalaya and NE accepts this anti-people and anti-national legislative exercise.

“That is the actual perception being created by the action of NPP and their leadership. It is anti people and there cannot be any bigger betrayal than this. Did they not say that they would oppose the CAB, was it not part of their (election) promises, it was but what has happened now? So therefore, it is the biggest betrayal,” he added.

On the other hand, the leader of opposition further condemned the attempt of the BJP to divide the people of the North East region.

“The manner in which the law is being pushed is design to divide the people of the North east because they say they will have different and separate provision for Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Assam and Tripura. Are they not trying to divide the NE region? We are looking at a long term and negative ramification as this whole legislative exercise is opening up a big challenge before the people of the nation,” he said.

Referring to the justification of the chief minister, the leader of opposition said, “He (CM) said only application seeking citizenship under the mandate of the CAB before 2014 will be considered so you can understand the understanding of the person about the mandate of the CAB and the ramification thereof and that is how we are being push to a vulnerable situation,” he said.

According to Sangma, the anti-foreigners’ movement in Assam and the whole exercise of NRC in Assam have also become redundant with 2014 being proposed as the cut off year in the CAB. “The Assam Accord has agreed that 1971 is the cut off year and now suddenly you betray the people of NE. The Assam Accord has its own positive impact on the whole NE and socio-political landscape and Assam cannot be considered in isolation from the NE as what happens in Assam affects all the states in the NE,” he added.